


enticing a smile to break through

by Fluffypanda



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Humor, Laughter, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-16 20:17:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14172606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffypanda/pseuds/Fluffypanda
Summary: No one makes Tony laugh like Steve.





	enticing a smile to break through

**Author's Note:**

> For the square N3 - The Prince Who Could Not Laugh on my Fairy Tale Bingo card. Also a fill for T3 - Laughter on my regular bingo card.
> 
> Originally on tumblr [here](http://ayapandagirl.tumblr.com/post/170631273043/enticing-a-smile-to-break-through)

Steve came to an abrupt stop at the edge of the kitchen, hardly noticing Bucky and Sam’s grunts of complaint as they collided with each other, and blinked at the scene before him. The breakfast bar was strewn with snacks: crinkled bags of chips, half-eaten cartons of ice cream, and, most alarmingly, several empty bottles of vodka. The smell of alcohol and burnt pizza hung in the air.

Tony was at the center of the chaos, nursing a cup of coffee with Thor and Natasha at his side. His eyes were tight and red-rimmed, his mouth curved into a tired frown, like he might never smile or laugh again. Steve wished he could wipe that look off his face, Tony deserved nothing but happiness.

Thor said, “Come now, surely you cannot mean to—”

“No, I mean it. I just can’t do it anymore. Forget settling down, forget the playboy lifestyle, I’m just gonna die old and lonely, surrounded by my bots,” Tony said, his voice rough as he slurred his words. He pressed the side of his face into the counter.

Heart sinking, Steve tried to back out of the kitchen. This was going to be the day when he finally asked Tony out, but clearly that wasn’t going to work. Sam and Bucky blocked his path.

Natasha rolled her eyes, but patted Tony’s back, or rather attempted to, she missed the mark and end up hitting his ear instead. “I’m sure Steve will visit you when you hit your crazy cat lady years.”

Steve nearly swallowed his tongue. Her eyes were on Steve as she said it, smiling like the cat that got the canary.

Sam leaned in close to whisper in Steve’s ear. “Now is your chance. Go tell him.”

“I can’t ask him out now. Didn’t you hear him?” Steve hissed back at him.

Bucky growled under his breath and said, “I can guarantee he’ll change his mind if it’s you asking.”

“Bots. Crazy bot lady—man. Whatever. And he won’t.” Tony’s frown deepened at this and he looked almost confused before his expression cleared. He hadn’t seemed to have noticed Steve, Bucky, and Sam. “It doesn’t matter, that’s beside the point. My heart is under lock and key. No more relationships for me. No more falling in love.”

“I really don’t think—” Steve began, casting a forlorn look at the breakfast bar, but at that moment he was propelled forward into the kitchen.

Some instinct made him twist and grab the arm that pushed him, so Bucky was pulled into the kitchen with him. Bucky had taken ahold of Sam on the way down, so they all ended up in a pile on the kitchen floor with a huge thud.

Turning in his chair, Tony looked down at them with his mouth wide open. Just when things couldn’t seem to get any worse, one of the cartons of ice cream teetered off the counter to land on Steve’s head. Cold chocolate spilled all over his hair and began running down the side of his face in sticky trails.

“Well, if that isn’t just the cherry on top of this—” Steve said, pulling the carton off his head. If he had any chance with Tony to begin with, it had to be completely ruined now.

But to Steve’s surprise, Tony’s mouth twitched at the corners, and then pulled into a smile as he attempted to smother a burst of laughter. Soon he gave up even trying at all and just openly cackled at the scene until he had tears in his eyes.

Bucky and Sam scrambled off of Steve, allowing him to stand. Steve tossed the ice cream carton in the trash and grabbed a towel to mop up the mess, though most of it was confined to his hair. Sam shot a significant look at Steve before heading off, with Natasha and Thor in tow.

Squeezing Steve’s shoulder, Bucky just whispered, “You got this,” and followed everyone else out.

“What—were you—even–” Tony said as his chuckles died down.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something.” Steve wiped the chocolate from his face. “I heard what you said just now. But maybe, if you wanted, before you resort to spending your final days in a mansion with hundreds of bots named things like ‘tiger’ and ‘mittens’, you could try going out. With me.”

Tony’s eyes shined as his smile grew ever wider. “Well, when you put it that way, how could I say no?”

 

 _Jack married the princess and they went to live in the castle. The princess would always laugh with him and they both lived happily for the rest of their lives._  

– “The Princess Who Never Smiled.”


End file.
